Zinc-extracting furnace with vertical retorts.



ROMAN v. ZELEWSKi. ZINC EXTRACHNG FURNACE WITH VERTICAL RETORTSi APPLICATION FILED FEB, 24. 1912.

L wfl? IL Patented Des, 11, 1917.

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noman' V. ZELEWSKI, OF ENGIS, BELGIUM.

ZmC-EXTBACTIHG FURNACE WITH VERTICAL EETORTS.

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Application filed February 2%, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROMAN v. ZELEWSKI, a subject of the King of Prussia, residing at Engis, Villa dEhein, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Zinc-Extracting Furnaces with Vertical Retorts; and hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improvements in zinc extracting furnaces with vertical retorts, and has for its primary object to provide a furnace of the kind stated inwhich the retorts or whole parts of the furnace can be removed and replaced from below, this being attained by arranging the retorts on lifts, by means of which the retorts can be lowered and raised at will.

Another object of the invention consists in arranging the air and gas burners for heating the retorts above the chambers or at least above the middle part of the chambers receiving the retorts, thus causing the hot gases to flow downward past and in contact with the entire retort surface, thereby insuring a good and equally distributed heating of the retorts and consequently a uniform extraction of the zinc.

A further object is to provide a furnace the retorts of which may be given any proper dimensions in their height and depth.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a furnace in which the retorts or entire parts of the furnace may be built upon'a partly fire-proof platform in a cold condition, carried on the platform into a special pre-heating furnace and then carried back and placed into the extraction furnace by means of the lift. By this operation the workmen will be effectively protected against heat and injurious influence of the hot gases.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through a part of a furnace constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a similar section through a modified form of furnace.

Referring now to Fig. 1 A is the furnace as a whole. The same is supported by girders 1 in such a way that a free space 2 is formed below the girders or the fur- Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Ido-

v Patented e t. it, rear. Serial no. 150,843.

nace, respectively. The vertical retorts 3 are arranged on lifts. Each lift consists of a platform 4 which is held in its place by means ofcounter weights 5 suspended from the ends of cables 6 which are guided over suitably arranged pulleys 7 and fastened wlth their upper ends to the platform 4. By lowering the platform 4 into the free space ,2 the old retort can be easily removed and replaced by a new one which is placed or built upon the platform, this being then again moved upward to bring the new retort into its proper place in the heating chamber 8. In the same way the retortscan be readily andquickly repaired. Retorts bullt of bucks can also be used, since, with the present construction, the weight 'of the retorts is only of minor importance.

, maining parts, including the heating chambers and the retorts are arranged on lifts so that whole parts of the furnace can be easily replaced or repaired by lowering or'raising the respective lifts. This construction allows to make the retorts of any suitable dimensions. As shown, the gas and air burners 9 and 10 are arranged at the upper part of the retorts or the retort receiving heatlng chambers, respectively, so that the hot combustible gases must be forced downward past the entire outer surface of the retorts, so that these will be uniformly heated in all their parts.

To increase the effect of the last-mentioned arrangement the furnace may be constructed as shown 1n Fig. 2. According to this figure, the introduction of the gas and air takes place from above the retort flow from the burners 9 and 10 in the direction of the arrows into the retort or heating chamber 8, where they strike against the retorts and take their way downward through passage 11 into an adjacent heating chamber 12 where they heat on their way upward the retorts arranged therein. As it is a wellknown fact that the hot gases always tend to flow to the place situated at the highest point, the retorts will always be sufficiently heated at their top ends and from there the gases are artificially drawn downward. This produces uniform heating of the retorts throughout their entire height. After a cer- 3 which in this case is closed at its upper end. The gases tain time gas and air can be reversed, as in Siemens-fur11aces, so that they will flow in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows.

The construction of the furnace, especially the arrangement of the lift, allows an advantageous Working of the furnace. The retorts or whole parts of the furnace can first be built in cold condition on the partly fire proof platform 4. The latter is carried into a temper or preheating furnace, Where the retortsor parts of the furnace are heated to a certain degree, whereupon they are introduced on the same platform in a heated condition into the extraction furnace by means of the lift. This operation may be effected entirely mechanically. The Workmen are as little as possible exposed to the heat and the manual transport of the hot retorts is entirely dispensed with.

Moreover, the arrangement of lift makes it possible that the retorts are given any suitable dimensions in their height and depth, that is to say, if larger retorts are desired such may be used which have the breadth of ordinary retorts While they may be extended in height and depth at will, the dimensions of the retorts being only limited by the measures of practicability.

It Will be seen from the foregoing that the furnace described has many advantages: The .retorts can be easily repaired and replaced; on account of the special arrangement of the burners they are intensively and uniformly heated; they can be easily built up in a cold condition, heated to a certain degree and mechanically inserted into the heating chambers; besides, the dimensions of the retorts are practically unlimited, because they are arranged on lifts Which allow a quick and easy lowering and raising of the retorts,

.lft will be evident that it do not Wish to restrict myself to the forms described and shown and that many changes can be made the combination of a casing formed with a vertical passage, gas and air ducts formed in the casing and communicating With the vertical passage, a retort in the vertical passage, a platform located under the vertical passage to support the vertical retort and close the bottom of same, counter Weights, guides in the casing, and cables attached to the platform and counter Weights to hold the retort in the passage 2. In a furnace of the character described, the combination of a casing formed With a vertical passage, a removable retort in the passage, and means including a counter bale ance for supporting the retort in the passage,

3. in a furnace of the character described, the combination of a casing formed with a vertical passage, the casing below the vertical passage being open, a vertical retort in the vertlcal passage, a platform on which the retort is supported, and means in the open space movable With the platform to hold said platform in relation to the retort.

in testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification,

HUMAN n ZELEWSKL 'Witnesses:

R. jrlnrncaarnnn, A, raccoon. 

